Paper supporting accessory for telephones



April -12, 1966 J. R. FRANK 3,245,696

PAPER SUPPORTING ACCESSORY FOR TELEPHONES Filed Dec. 7, 1964 INVENTORJOSEPH. R FRANK HTTORNEY United States Patent Improved Products, Inc.,New Hyde Park, N.Y., a,

corporation of New York Filed Dec. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 416,364 4 Claims.(Cl. 231-15) This invention relates to an accessory device fordetachable mounting in connection with the base of a telephone forsupport of writing paper or pads, as well as writing implements, such asa pen or pencil, to facil tate making notations as and when thetelephone is in use. More particularly, the invention deals with amolded device of the character defined having a paper supporting casingwith a reduced extension at one end facilitating detachable coupling andsupport upon a base, with the device in an upwardly incline-d positionwith respect to the base to be visible and accessible for writing ofnotes on paper supported in the casing while the telephone is inoperation.

The novel features of the invention will be best under stood from thefollowing description, when taken together with the accompanyingdrawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosedand, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable referencecharacters in each of the views and, in which:

@FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the upper rear portion of atelephone base illustrating in longitudinal section one of my improvedaccessory devices supported thereon and omitting showing of writingpaper or writing implements mountable in connection with the device; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the accessory device shown in FIG. 1 detachedwith respect to the telephone base.

In FIG. 1, I have shown at the upper rear portion of a telephone base ofmore or less standard construction, the base having at sides thereofupwardly projecting yokes, one of which is indicated at 11, within andbetween which the usual telephone receiver and transmitter is mountedwhen the telephone is not in use. Intermediate the yokes 11, the basehas a rearwardly opening socket 12 defined, in part, by a top wall 13having at its free end a dependent bead 14, which is arrangedsubstantially centrally with the rear socketed portion of the base. Thesocket 12 provides means for reception of fingers of the hand inmovement of the base from one position to another, which can beaccomplished when one of my improved paper supporting accessory devices15 is detached from the base.

The device 15 comprises an oblong rectangular generally tray-like casing16, defined by a bottom wall 17, side walls 18 and an upwardly inclinedtop wall 19 adjacent the end wall 20. At this time, it is pointed outthat the wall 19 may be used as a nameplate or a wall having other typesand kinds of markings thereon. The lower end portion of the casing 16has inwardly projecting pad or paper supporting end walls 21, which joinside walls 22 of a reduced mounting end or extension 23.

Considering FIG. 1 of the drawing, it will appear that the lower end 19'of the top wall 19 terminates substantially in alinement with the upperend 17 of the bottom wall 17. It will also appear that the side walls 18are recessed, as seen in 18', FIG. 1, between the top wall 19 and at aposition adjacent the lower end walls 21.

It will be noted that the bottom wall 17 extends onto the extension 23,as seen at 17". The extension 23 has an upwardly and outwardly inclinedend wall 24 projecting beyond the upper edges of the side walls 22 toform a coupling end 25 adapted to operatively engage the bead I3,245,696 Patented Apr. 12, 1966 14 in support of the device 15 inconnection with the base 10. The side walls 22 of the extension 23 have,adjacent the walls 21, recesses 26 for support of a pen or pencil to beused in connection with the device. The note paper or pad used inconjunction with the device is arranged upon the wall 17 of the casingbetween the lower end walls 21 and inwardly of the upper end wall 20, aswill be apparent from a consideration of FIG. 1 of the drawing.Engagement with these note papers is facilitated by the space betweeninner ends of 21 or adjacent surfaces of the walls 22.

Arranged upon the lower surface of the bottom wall 17 of the device arelongitudinal reinforcing ribs 27 which extend upwardly onto the lowersurface of the wall 24, as seen at 27. 27' joins 27 in rounded pivotportions, one of which is seen at 28 in FIG. 1 of the drawing. Thesepivot portions bear upon the bottom wall 12' of the socket 12 in supportof the accessory device 15 in the upwardly inclined position, as notedin FIG. 1 of the drawing. The ribs 27 reinforce and support the bottomwall 17 against the pressure of making notations on note paper or padssupported in the casing 16.

From a consideration of FIG. 1 of the drawing, it will be apparent thatthe device 15 can be quickly and easily coupled and uncoupled withrespect to the base and, when coupled with the base, is held againstaccidental displacement. Further, by molding the device 15 in plastic orsimilar material, one unitary structure is provided which economizes onthe cost of production of the device and, by reason of its overallcontour, packaging of the device for shipment and transportation issimplified.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure 'by Letters Patent is:

1. An accessory device of the character defined comprising a generallytray-like note sheet supporting casing defined by bottom, side, end andtop walls, one end of the casing having a reduced extension includingside Walls and an end wall greater in height than the height of the sidewalls of said extension to form a coupling end adapted to detachablyengage part of a telephone base, the bottom of the casing includingdepending spaced pivot means at the reduced extension end thereof, whichin combination with said coupling end, supports the device in upwardlyinclined position with respect to a telephone base, in connection withwhich the device is supported, and said spaced pivot means includingparts of reinforcing ribs extending longitudinally of said device andonto the end Wall of said reduced extension.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein side walls of said reducedextension include recesses for support of a writing implement inconnection with the device.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said top Wall is disposed atthe other end of the casing and integrally joins end and side walls ofsaid other casing end.

4. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein a forward edge of said topwall of the casing is in vertical alinement with a rear edge of thebottom wall of the casing, and said end walls of the casing beingdisposed at sides of the reduced extension and adapted to support notepaper against downward displacement in said tray-like casing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,488,516 11/1949Shore 281-15X 2,791,865 5/1957 Iscoe 281-15 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,031,012 3/1953 France.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner.

1. AN ACCESSORY DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DEFINED COMPRISING A GENERALLYTRAY-LIKE NOTE SHEET SUPPORTING CASING DEFINED BY BOTTOM, SIDE, END ANDTOP WALLS, ONE END OF THE CASING HAVING A REDUCED EXTENSION INCLUDINGSIDE WALLS AND AN END WALL GREATER IN HEIGHT THAN THE HEIGHT OF THE SIDEWALLS OF SAID EXTENSION TO FORM A COUPLING END ADAPTED TO DETACHABLYENGAGE PART OF A TELEPHONE BASE, THE BOTTOM OF THE CASING INCLUDINGDEPENDING SPACED PIVOT MEANS AT THE REDUCED EXTESNION END THEREOF, WHICHIN COMBINATION WITH SAID COUPLING END, SUPPORTS THE DEVICE IN UPWARDLYINCLINED POSITION WITH RESPECT TO A TELEPHONE BASE, IN CONNECTED WITHWHICH THE DEVICE IS SUPPORTED, AND SAID SPACED PIVOT MEANS INCLUDINGPARTS OF REINFORCING RIBS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID DEVICE ANDONTO THE END WALL OF SAID REDUCED EXTENSION.